Pro-Youth Foundation is a non-governmental organisation established this year which is on a mission to build and transform youth into assets rather than liabilities in the society.

Founder and CEO, Lancelot Musesengwa (33) told Popya that the foundation provides an opportunity for young people to address social and economic ills in their communities while gaining valuable skills and learning about responsibility, work ethic and interpersonal skills. 

“Fundamentally, the foundation is about guaranteeing that young people are at the forefront of promoting development in their communities where youth are not regarded as victims or burdens to society but rather as vital assets in promoting development and delivering services, ” said Musesengwa

He said the youths are the agents of change, and youth service programs such as the Pro-Youth Foundation help to empower youngsters to play an active role in improving their lives and that of others.

“Young people are the backbone of society. Their participation in all aspects of society is very important. Unfortunately, we see much African youth being deprived of this. They have no or limited roles in decision-making processes or leadership programs at the local and national level,” mentioned Musesengwa.

The goal of the foundation is to identify youths who are likely to have a turbulent transition to adulthood and offer a positive support system to avoid the pitfalls that can derail their lives. “The focus is slightly different at each level but the goal remains the same; empower the young person to make positive changes in his/her life. Pro-Youth will focus primarily on school-going and out-of-school youths,” said Musesengwa.

He said the foundation is embarking on a regional skills development workshop that will see them identifying barbers and hairstylists to get training to self-sustain themselves, after which they will be given hair equipment to continue on their mission of being assets.

Musesengwa said that apart from the regional skills development workshop, the foundation will be hosting the I have a Dream Campaign which is aimed at improving health consciousness amongst the youth through HIV/AIDS, drug and substance abuse campaigns throughout all 14 regions of the country. 
“A dream is not fully accomplished without the sensitivity and awareness of one’s health,” believes Musesengwa.

However, finance is always an issue among youth. “We are also focusing on a financial literacy scheme as it is an important tool to improve the financial capability of our youth and communities. Students should be taught how to handle money, both at home and in school,” he said.

A job creation, entrepreneur hub seminar and counselling are some of the other programmes the foundation intends on addressing.
– Psiririka@nepc.com.na